Villagers of Mahalam in Ferozepur hacked to death a young man, allegedly for tearing pages of Guru Granth Sahib on Saturday. Punjab police have registered a case for murder against the mob.
According to police, the deceased was identified as Bakshish Singh (25), a resident of Talli Gulam village and he visited the gurudwara in Bandala village on Saturday afternoon. After offering prayers, Bakshish allegedly tore off pages of Guru Granth Sahib and tried to escape from the place.
Villagers who saw this nabbed Bakshish and he was thrashed and attacked him brutally with swords, police said. Though Bakshish was rushed to hospital for treatment, he succumbed to injuries. His father Lakhwinder Singh said that Bakshish was mentally challenged and was undergoing treatment for it.
Police have filed an FIR against the youth for the alleged sacrilege. Bakshish's father, however, called on the police to register a case against those who killed his son.
Senior police officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police Saumya Mishra, reached the village after the incident. Police lodged an FIR against Bakshish under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code at the Arif Ke Police Station on a complaint lodged by Lakhvir Singh, chairman, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee.
According to police, initially a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) was registered against unidentified members of the mob, but it later turned into a FIR for murder. Police sources told Hindustan Times that some members of the mob who killed Bakshish have been identified.
Bakshish's father Lakhwinder said his son had been mentally disturbed for the last few years and has been undergoing treatment. The police should also register an FIR against those who killed his son, he said.
Meanwhile, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh expressed grief over the incident of sacrilege in Ferozepur. He termed Bakshish's death as a reaction to the "failure to punish the culprits and give exemplary punishments by law."
Moreover, the Jathedar has also asked the Sikh 'Sangat' to socially and religiously boycott the family of the accused of sacrilege and not to allow the last rites of the accused to be held in any gurdwara.
In a statement, Singh said for a long time, incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib have been taking place under a "well-planned conspiracy". He said that the government's law is neither proving successful in stopping the incidents of sacrilege nor in punishing the culprits.
He said the sacrilege in Ferozepur is a very unfortunate incident which has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs. "For Sikhs, there is nothing above Sri Guru Granth Sahib and incidents of sacrilege badly harm the soul and mentality of Sikhs," he said.
-with inputs from agencies.
